In a Tuesday, May 13, 2014 photo, New Jersey state Sen. Donald Norcross participates in a debate in Lawnside, N.J., with other candidates for the 1st Congressional District seat covering Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties. Democratic officials have endorsed Norcross, whose brother is Democratic powerbroker George Norcross, who is also majority owner of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Norcross is facing Logan Township Mayor Frank Minor and graduate student Frank Broomell in the Democratic primary. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) (Photo: Mel Evans AP)

In a Tuesday, May 13, 2014 photo, former Collingswood, N.J., school board member Claire Gustafson participates in a debate in Lawnside, N.J., with other candidates for the 1st Congressional District seat covering Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties. In the Republican primary June 3, Gustafson will face real estate agent Gerald McManus, as well as former NFL linebacker Garry Cobb and commercial food equipment repairman Lee Lucas, who did not attend the NAACP sponsored debate. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) (Photo: Mel Evans AP)

In a Tuesday, May 13, 2014 photo, real estate agent Gerald McManus participates in a debate in Lawnside, N.J., Tuesday, May 13, 2014, with other candidates for the 1st Congressional District seat covering Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties. In the Republican primary June 3, McManus will face former Collingswood, N.J., school board member Claire Gustafson, as well as, former NFL linebacker Garry Cobb and commercial food equipment repairman Lee Lucas, who did not attend the NAACP sponsored debate. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) (Photo: Mel Evans AP)

LAWNSIDE — The four-way Republican congressional primary in a heavily Democratic New Jersey district has turned ugly, with two candidates flinging accusations of memory problems and blackmail at each other.

Former Collingswood school board member Claire Gustafson and former NFL player Garry Cobb have gone on the offensive in the race for the 1st Congressional District seat covering Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties.

Gustafson has questioned Cobb's fitness for office because he has sued the league over concussions and said in a court filing that he has "various neurological impacts." And she routinely refers to him as a "former Dallas Cowboy," something designed to make him seem like a traitor in an area close to Philadelphia, where Cobb is a sports radio talk show host. During an 11-year career, Cobb played linebacker for the Cowboys as well as the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions.

Cobb told the Courier-Post in April that he didn't have any symptoms of brain problems. That seems to contradict what he said in 2012, both in the legal filing and in an interview with the Philadelphia Daily News, when he said he has some memory problems. He told the Daily News his memory loss was minor, but he was concerned it could worsen considering other former players had dementia.

Cobb has fired back on other fronts. On a Twitter account and website, Cobb's campaign accused Gustafson's campaign consultant Steve Kush of trying to blackmail him by threatening, through an intermediary, to release damaging information if Cobb didn't drop out of the race.

Kush said he told a "mutual friend" about opposition research on Cobb but didn't make any threats.

"'Blackmailed' is absolutely ridiculous," Kush said. "For some little snot-nosed punk in the Cobb campaign to even make such an accusation is preposterous."

Gustafson's campaign has provided reporters with publicly available documents about some of Cobb's past financial problems. Kush said he intends to use that information in news releases between now and the primary.

Two other candidates are also in the race: real estate agent Gerald McManus and commercial food equipment repairman Lee Lucas. Both have focused on jobs, with McManus saying the FairTax, a national sales tax, should replace the income tax and Lucas calling for tariffs on products imported from China, a crackdown on immigrants in the country illegally and tighter restrictions on the number of legal immigrants.

The election has been low budget so far. None of the four Republicans had reported raising $5,000 by April 15, though Gustafson said she expects to raise enough by the election to send direct mail and air some TV ads.

There are two elections on the same ballot. One is for a full term in Congress starting in January. The other is a special election to complete the term of Rep. Rob Andrews, a Democrat who resigned this year to work for a law firm, and serve from November until January.

None of the Republican candidates submitted petitions to run in the special election. Lucas says state Republican leaders neglected to tell them about it. So in addition to asking for votes in the primary, most of the candidates are asking supporters to write their names on the ballot for the special election.

Whoever emerges from the Republican primary June 3 will face tough odds in the November general election in a district that heavily favors Democrats. Andrews and most other area Democratic officials have endorsed state Sen. Donald Norcross, whose brother is Democratic powerbroker George Norcross, who is also majority owner of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Norcross is facing Logan Township Mayor Frank Minor and graduate student Frank Broomell in the Democratic primary.

The Republican candidates believe they could have appeal as outsiders despite being in a heavily Democratic district and at a major fundraising disadvantage, especially if Norcross wins the primary.

"The average person is fed up with business as usual from Washington and our elected officials," McManus said.

"The Democratic constituency might just be a little tired of it," Gustafson said.

A look at congressional candidate Garry Cobb

AGE: 56

GREW UP: Carthage, North Carolina, and Stamford, Connecticut.

FAMILY: Married with three adult children

RESIDENCE: Cherry Hill

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: This is Cobb's first run for office.

EDUCATION: Attended the University of Southern California.

OCCUPATION: Former professional football player who is now on leave from his job as a sports radio talk show host. Also publishes a Philadelphia-centered sports website and helps players leaving the NFL transition to new careers.

ON THE ISSUES: Cobb testified this month before a state legislative committee to oppose a bill that would ban ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. He says he wants to reduce taxes and government regulations to encourage hiring and improve the economy. He also favors finding ways to help the district's largest city, Camden, which is also one of the most impoverished in the U.S., but without spending a lot of taxpayer money to do it.

GREW UP: Mostly in Washington, D.C., but spent a few years of high school in Colfax, Illinois.

FAMILY: Married with five children, 10 grandchildren

RESIDENCE: Collingswood

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Served one term on Collingswood Board of Education, lost election for Collingswood Board of Commissioners.

EDUCATION: Associate's degree from Marjorie Webster College.

OCCUPATION: President of Gus 4 Kids, a distributor of children's clothing that she runs with her husband.

ON THE ISSUES: She says she wants to reduce the national debt and repeal and replace President Barack Obama's health insurance overhaul. She says she wants to keep some features, such as coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. She favors having greater autonomy for state governments when it comes to education policy. She also wants to expand the size of the military.

CAMPAIGN CASH: Less than $5,000 by April 15, but Gustafson says she will have enough for mailers and some television advertising.

A look at congressional candidate Lee Lucas

AGE: 56

GREW UP: Woodbury Heights

FAMILY: Married

RESIDENCE: Gibbstown

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Ran for Assembly in 2009.

EDUCATION: High school graduate

OCCUPATION: Spent six years in the Navy, now repairs commercial food equipment.

ON THE ISSUES: Lucas says his top priority is fixing the economy. His two main ways to do it are by raising tariffs on China and restricting immigration, both legal and illegal. He skipped last week's debate sponsored by the NAACP, saying, "They're not going to vote for a fiscal conservative like me. They want to know what all the free handouts are going to be for them."

CAMPAIGN CASH: Says he's not raising money for the primary.

A look at congressional candidate Gerald McManus

AGE: 47

GREW UP: Stratford

FAMILY: Married with five children

RESIDENCE: Winslow Township

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Has never run for office before.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in economics from Glassboro State College, now known as Rowan University.

OCCUPATION: Real estate agent.

ON THE ISSUES: He is an advocate of the FairTax, a national 23 percent sales tax in place of a federal income tax. He says college debt is also a concern. "I even have clients who have to sell their houses because they can't pay their child's loans and their mortgage," he says.